Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman dies of Malaria

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman has died of malaria. He was 58.

He passed away at around 6:25am on Friday (April 17) while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dhaka, officials said.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, Rahman was admitted earlier this week after his condition deteriorated, with a sharp drop in platelet levels. He was later diagnosed with malaria, and his health declined rapidly despite treatment.

Born in Mathbaria upazila of Pirojpur, Rahman was a member of the 13th batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service (Customs and Excise) cadre. He began his career in April 1994 as an assistant commissioner under the National Board of Revenue.

Over a long career, he held several key positions, including deputy commissioner, joint commissioner and additional commissioner, serving in various customs houses, VAT commissionerates and at the NBR.

He was appointed Commerce Secretary on February 25 last year. Prior to that, he served as an additional secretary in the ICT Division.

His death has cast a shadow of grief across the administration and government circles.